Hillsboro recorder. (Hillsboro, N.C.) 1887-18??, 1887-08-18
The Terrible Drought.


VnGErATIoN IN PARr OF ILLINOIS AND Wis
coNsIs HAS TuRSEp FROM GREEN 70 Yen.
Low.
CHICAGO, Aug. S.-There is an area
OF perhaps $4,000 square miles III the
Northwest where the dust lies heavi.
ly upon the earth. The district is
bounded by Madison on the north,
Bloomington on the south, Lake Mi
chigan on the east, aud tbs Mississip.
pirivpr on the west. II ii within the
limits OF those boundaries that yegr-
tation has lost its normal color and
the earth its moisture. Day after day
the sun sends its burning rays upon
the parched farms and Fields. Leaves
are falling from the trees, the grass
in the meadowshas grown yellow aud
white, aud the streams are as dry AZ
powder horns. Ii has been nearly
ten weeks since soaking rain tell IN
this district. In Southern WISCONSIN
there are thousands OF acres where
corn will not yield a peck TO the acre.
The crop has been scorched and al
most totally destroyed, The leaves
are yellow and brittle and droop al
ulSst to the ground.
wells have run dry, and in some
towns water flmines are imminent.
The drinking water at hand is often
polluted and filed with poison germs.
Typhoid lever is becoming more pre-
valen,, and dysentery and other sto-
mach disturbances are so common in
some places as to be almost epidemic.
Unless rain falls before many days the
suffering will be greatly augmented
The intense heat has been terrible
strain upon man, but its effect upon
cattle has been simply appalling.
Without pasturage or pools IN which
TO stand during the hot hours Of the
day the poor beasts have become So
eplaciated as to bn wholly unmarked.
able. In some places forest trees have
been felled and dragged to the pas.
lures, aud the cattle turned loose to
browse upon the leaves. Hundreds
Of COWS are being killed and shipped
to the market tor mere pitiance.
At Winslow, Ill, one farmer bong HI
ten head Of cattle last January vt so
per head. When he offered Ia sell the
entire herd last week for 100 he could
not find purchaser. Farmers III this
district have already turned their cat
lie loose to feed OH the crops. In some
places fences have been run through
corn fields, and the starving cattle
permitted TO feed upon the leaves and
stalks. When these have been eaten
the fences are extended until the
fields have been eaten clean.
! Added to other miseries il the con.
stant fear of fires The fields are rea-
dy TO burst into fl,me aud leaves lie
in heaps in the forests. A spirk starts
a fire. La some towns the people are
often called out three or four times a
day to fight the flames. Destructive
fires have been raging for many days
at Krnosha. Racine and Walworth
COMMITTEES, in Wisconsin. thousands
Of acres have been swept by the
flames, and the loss 10 farmers 10 hay,
grain, fencing and buildings is very
great. Ahuve Madison ths bOgs are
burning fiercels. and tile pnng.nt
smoke hangs over the Country for
miles around. The Northern Illinois
lires are 90 numerous that iii. farmers
have ploughvd the ground about
ll.eir buildings in order to check The
spread Of the flames. 10 8 me parts
ofthe district the drought Is 50 Terri.
bic that bu:ternuts and waInuis have
fallen from The trees. Poiafo-s, when
taken from their beds Of ashes, look
like Graz apples. They are Wrinkle
aud spongy aud unfit for food. There
is also great scarcity Of milk, owing
To the inability Of cows TO fad nutri-